Location: - Folly Beach SC Miles = 37, Ave MPH = 15.3 Cum. Miles = 4159

Saturday September 27


Justin joined me for the final push to Folly Beach. I loaded the bike up to be representative of when I was on tour, as we are going to have it on display for the the fundraiser at Loggerheads after the wheel dip. As you can see from the the 15.3 ave mph there is nothing like a little competition to get me moving. Thanks so much Justin - this meant a lot to me:

We made such good time that we stopped at the Sweetwater Cafe for breakfast with about 9 miles to go. We ended up getting there about 15 minutes early and found McKenna and Flynn who drove out. So here it is the wheel dip in the Atlantic:

Charleston's FOX 5 came out to do an interview:

4159 miles and that's it folks:

Loggerheads did a fantastic job in helping with the fundraiser. They raffled off a beach cruiser bike and raised $590. Sandy, the winner, approached the stage and handed me an additional $100. Tony in the black Loggerhead t-shirt was instrumental in organizing and publicizing the event - thank you Tony:

Look at this generosity!!!!

This is Ed the owner of Loggerheads with Kingston a potential future service dog:):). Thank you Ed for being such a gracious host and help to Soldier's Best Friend:

Mark Jolly - a great friend and co-worker from years past with his wife Beverly. Thanks to the all the others that supported the raffle and visited:

This is Greg a Vet with 2 deployments in Iraq:

As I mentioned in my last blog I will be doing one more post to do a bit of a summary of my trip, offer a few words of advice to those who may be considering something like this, talk about employment, look at other possible adventures, and offer up a few more photos. This will take some time.
Sorry it took so long to update the Folly Beach piece - I have been on several interviews lately. I got caught up in the disaster around flight delays and eventually cancellations in Chicago due to the fire in the air traffic control section. 

Tomorrow Oct 7th the Post and Currier will be doing an article on the tour. I will try to share it through a link.

Soldier's Best Friend

Lauren continues to do great work with her students in Chattanooga.

 She has her students ON FIRE raising money for Soldier's Best Friend and is now getting interviewed with her students also. Facebook friend Lauren if you want a blast of "positive".

Lauren and I have decided to take a run at getting on Ellen Degeneres to further high-light SBF. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP -  If you have been following the blog and think there is enough funny and heart warming stuff that has happened to me on my trip then please take 5 minutes to tell Ellen's staff that at the following link
http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/  It is really easy to fill this out and we have been told that a barrage from different people helps - so please help. Just mention my ride for Soldier's Best Friend with my name (Neil Grehlinger) and add a little blurb of why you think it would make an interesting show. Also mention Lauren Thomas and her students as well.

Donations update:  Currently at $ 2480 thanks to the final push organized by Ed and Tony at Loggerheads.

Thanks to all who donated!!!!!!!

About Soldiers Best Friend ..... If you have been following along you already know that I am trying to collect donations for the charity called Soldiers Best Friend. This is a charity that provides service dogs to Vets that are suffering from PTSD. These dogs can literally be life savers for these men and women.

My blog averages approximately 175 hits per day. I think that suggests folks are interested in the trip and hopefully are being informed and entertained. I am at the half-way point of the trip at 2151 miles. I consider this my job for the summer of 2014. I am putting in the the "blood, sweat, and gears" to steal a phrase - so would you consider a donation to this very worthy cause?

I've done the math for you .... My entire trip is going to be approximately 4200 miles long. Do you think you could donate $.006 per mile (like about slightly more than 1/2 cent per mile)?? If so then that would be a $25 dollar donation to SBF. Or better yet could you afford to donate at $.012 per mile (1.2 cents per mile) then that would be about a $50 donation. And so on ....  give what you can - I know this sounds like a Nation Public Radio fund drive but come on - what a worthy cause!!

Please follow the link below to donate and include my name - just "Neil" will do or "Neal" if you like that spelling better:):)

It's time folks please.......   

As you donate please enter my name in the "In Honor of Spot" so the folks at SBF can tally the results to encourage me and let me know WE are getting something done TOGETHER. I recognize we are really trying to honor the Vets but this is the only way SBF can tally the results of this drive.

Location: - Awendaw Greens SC - Barn Jam Miles = 71, Ave MPH = 12.2 Cum. Miles = 4122

Wednesday September 24

I had always intended to revisit the Awendaw Greens Barn Jam to do one last follow-up fund raiser for SBF. I thought it would be most affective to ride the Kona out there fully loaded so people attending the the event would have an opportunity to see the real deal. Perhaps some of the people there would have been there on July 2nd when I previously spoke to the crowd about Soldier's Best Friend and the tour. Having arrived back in the area on September 14th I had aimed for Wednesday the 17th but it rained with vigor. I'm not even sure the Barn Jam actually went off that night at all.

The next opportunity was Wednesday the 24th and the weather was fairly dismal as it had been for days and days but I decided to take a chance. I left Summerville a little too late to make the 6pm ride of the local bike club that leaves from Awendaw but I caught up with them. It had drizzled along the way but the rain held off that evening.

On my way between Summerville and Moncks Corners I saw these signs. At the first sign I thought it was referencing a request "not to mist some pesticide or herbicide":

But when I saw the second sign I knew that wasn't the case. These were the first and last signs in a series of signs advertising a knick/knack shop. Cracked me up:):):)

 
This is the Lone Star Barbecue in Santee SC. A couple unique things about this place. One is that it is a collection of 3 old country stores that were hauled to the site and joined together by short corridors. The second unusual thing is that it is owned by a chef that left South Carolina to become a successful chef in NYC who decided to return to his roots to raise his family. So what we have here is Barbee with a decidedly upscale flare to it:

Shot into one of the country store dining rooms:

I didn't eat there on the way out to Awendaw Green but did catch it another night. It helped me with cranking up my appetite which had taken a dive after the daily riding had ended. More on that in a subsequent blog.

I didn't take any photos at the Barn Jam - go figure - just got so into it, that photography just slipped my mind. The weather held and it was the usual awesome event with great music - in fact I came home with 3 CD's to add to my collection. thankfully a friend had a truck to load my bike into and then tote me home.

Two more blogs I believe yet to come - one of course being the final push with my son-in-law Justin Cross and then one that is a summary of the tour coupled with a tad of introspection that friends have asked me to do regarding this experience.

Soldier's Best Friend

The multiplier effect is real.... Lauren Thomas a teacher at Central High School in Chattanooga TN saw one of my TV interviews in Chattanooga. It would be somewhat of an understatement to say that Lauren got enthused regarding helping Vets with PTSD. She has her students ON FIRE raising money for Soldier's Best Friend and is now getting interviewed with her students also. Facebook friend Lauren if you want a blast of "positive".

Lauren and I have decided to take a run at getting on Ellen Degeneres to further high-light SBF. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP -  If you have been following the blog and think there is enough funny and heart warming stuff that has happened to me on my trip then please take 5 minutes to tell Ellen's staff that at the following link
http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/  It is really easy to fill this out and we have been told that a barrage from different people helps - so please help. Just mention my ride for Soldier's Best Friend with my name (Neil Grehlinger) and add a little blurb of why you think it would make an interesting show. Also mention Lauren Thomas and her students as well.

Donations update:  Currently at $1675

About Soldiers Best Friend ..... If you have been following along you already know that I am trying to collect donations for the charity called Soldiers Best Friend. This is a charity that provides service dogs to Vets that are suffering from PTSD. These dogs can literally be life savers for these men and women.

My blog averages approximately 175 hits per day. I think that suggests folks are interested in the trip and hopefully are being informed and entertained. I am at the half-way point of the trip at 2151 miles. I consider this my job for the summer of 2014. I am putting in the the "blood, sweat, and gears" to steal a phrase - so would you consider a donation to this very worthy cause?

I've done the math for you .... My entire trip is going to be approximately 4200 miles long. Do you think you could donate $.006 per mile (like about slightly more than 1/2 cent per mile)?? If so then that would be a $25 dollar donation to SBF. Or better yet could you afford to donate at $.012 per mile (1.2 cents per mile) then that would be about a $50 donation. And so on ....  give what you can - I know this sounds like a Nation Public Radio fund drive but come on - what a worthy cause!!

Please follow the link below to donate and include my name - just "Neil" will do or "Neal" if you like that spelling better:):)

It's time folks please.......   

As you donate please enter my name in the "In Honor of Spot" so the folks at SBF can tally the results to encourage me and let me know WE are getting something done TOGETHER. I recognize we are really trying to honor the Vets but this is the only way SBF can tally the results of this drive.

Location: - Summerville SC Miles = 102, Ave MPH = 12.9 Cum. Miles = 4051

Sunday September 14


I took route 176 heading south out of Columbia as I had decided not to stay around on Sunday waiting for media on Monday. The lure of sleeping in my own bed was too much. I was amused when thinking of the number of times I hacked up and down the incredibly busy I-26 without knowing that route 176 ran parallel with little or no traffic. It might take 15 minutes more by car than I-26, but how much less stress and with a bit more interesting sights to keep me awake.

This is an oversize load that is so oversize that I had to use the panoramic function on the camera to capture it. You will notice there is a puller truck at the right hand side of the photo with a pusher truck connected on the left hand side as well. It was pulled off to wait for a night-time ride. It was so large it takes up both lanes of the road:

The load was tire manufacturing equipment coming out of the port of Charleston and destined for the Bridgestone Plant in Aiken SC. The red frame itself weighs 7000 pounds:

Esther Parrish along route 176:

This is Interlaken Plantation near Cameron SC:

Starting to see cotton:

And peanuts:

And dug peanuts:

Half way from Columbia to Summerville I hit the 4000 mile mark:

I stopped to ask Cheryl in Cameron to ask about a restaurant (there are none in Cameron). Cheryl chatted a good while about SBF and my tour. She told me about walking the Appalachian Trail. Cheryl's strong NYC accent prompted me to ask her how she ended up in Cameron. She told me she was there taking care of her elderly parents. So the next question was  how did your parents end up here? Cheryl said when her parents retired they went for a ride and drove through Cameron saw a house for sale. They bought it and have been there ever since. Isn't that cool?

This was a beautiful estate between Cameron and Holly Hill:

I saw the owner out taking advantage of the few hours that it wasn't raining to cut his immense lawn. I wanted to ask him a question about the peanuts I had seen. I complimented him on his beautiful home and said there still must be money in cotton and he laughed and said no there really wasn't all that much money in cotton or peanuts. Turns out this is Bill Spiers a retired professional baseball player. Bill was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers and began playing major league as an infielder in 1989. Bill was also a multifaceted athlete - As quarterback he led his high school football team to two state championships. He received a scholarship to Clemson for baseball and became a walk-on punter for the Clemson Tigers.

Bill was interested in my ride for SBF. Super nice guy - exactly what you want your local professional ballplayer to be - down to earth and real.

I took route 176 to Holly Hill and then cut over to jump on I-26 for the last 20 miles. Two more miles to home but this doesn't mean the journey is over as I still need to get to the Atlantic and dip my wheel which will be done another day when Justin my son-in-law arrives from NY:

When I rolled into town I went home and got showered and drove for the first time in almost 9 weeks to the Celtic Knot for some wings. Flynn joined me on her way home from work:

Aaron is a Vet and kindly took care of my bill at the Celtic Knot. Thanks much Aaron:

The multiplier effect is real.... Lauren Thomas a teacher at Central High School in Chattanooga TN saw one of my TV interviews in Chattanooga. It would be somewhat of an understatement to say that Lauren got enthused regarding helping Vets with PTSD. She has her students ON FIRE raising money for Soldier's Best Friend and is now getting interviewed with her students also. Facebook friend Lauren if you want a blast of "positive".

Lauren and I have decided to take a run at getting on Ellen Degeneres to further high-light SBF. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP -  If you have been following the blog and think there is enough funny and heart warming stuff that has happened to me on my trip then please take 5 minutes to tell Ellen's staff that at the following link
http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/  It is really easy to fill this out and we have been told that a barrage from different people helps - so please help. Just mention my ride for Soldier's Best Friend with my name (Neil Grehlinger) and add a little blurb of why you think it would make an interesting show. Also mention Lauren Thomas and her students as well.

Donations update:  Currently at $1600

About Soldiers Best Friend ..... If you have been following along you already know that I am trying to collect donations for the charity called Soldiers Best Friend. This is a charity that provides service dogs to Vets that are suffering from PTSD. These dogs can literally be life savers for these men and women.

My blog averages approximately 175 hits per day. I think that suggests folks are interested in the trip and hopefully are being informed and entertained. I am at the half-way point of the trip at 2151 miles. I consider this my job for the summer of 2014. I am putting in the the "blood, sweat, and gears" to steal a phrase - so would you consider a donation to this very worthy cause?

I've done the math for you .... My entire trip is going to be approximately 4200 miles long. Do you think you could donate $.006 per mile (like about slightly more than 1/2 cent per mile)?? If so then that would be a $25 dollar donation to SBF. Or better yet could you afford to donate at $.012 per mile (1.2 cents per mile) then that would be about a $50 donation. And so on ....  give what you can - I know this sounds like a Nation Public Radio fund drive but come on - what a worthy cause!!

Please follow the link below to donate and include my name - just "Neil" will do or "Neal" if you like that spelling better:):)

It's time folks please.......   

As you donate please enter my name in the "In Honor of Spot" so the folks at SBF can tally the results to encourage me and let me know WE are getting something done TOGETHER. I recognize we are really trying to honor the Vets but this is the only way SBF can tally the results of this drive.

Location: - Columbia SC Miles = 103, Ave MPH = 12.1 Cum. Miles = 3949

Saturday September 13

Quote of the Day: "The most important thing you can do as an individual is to not act as an individual."

The Charlotte media didn't seem to be interested in picking up the SBF/Bike tour story. So after waiting around an extra day to be available for interviews finally on Saturday I blasted off for Columbia. It rained most of the way making it the most dismal day of my entire trip and as a result it was almost a no-photo day.

I didn't plan very well for the fact that it was a home college football game for the USC Gamecocks .....

Hotel-less man in Columbia:

I finally found a hotel at 2am. What compounded the issue of finding a hotel was that my iPhone was dead so I couldn't use it to look for hotels or use the GPS functions. During the 129 mile ride to Charlotte the phone had been in very high humidity and the screen got water in it. I felt that the phone should stand up to humidity and by the way Apple agreed and subsequently gave me a new phone.

So I finally landed at a new Super 8. The battery had discharged on the phone also, as a piece of rice had gotten into the charging port as I had been using rice in a bag to try to suck out the humidity. Sean the night auditor at Super 8 jumped to the rescue and found a way to get it out so at least the phone could be charged. Sean and a great lobby sign:

Regarding the Quote of the Day - "The most important thing you can do as an individual is to not act as an individual." 

As I think of how people can fret and concern themselves about conditions and circumstances in the world, I think of how much better it is to just jump in and take action and stop worrying ourselves. And no, not many people will find themselves in a situation where they can climb on a bike and ride across the country taking up a cause but we can do something. Helen Keller said "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

Relative to the plight of Veterans with PTSD, I urge you not only take action but to take the rational action of joining with others to help by donating to Soldier's Best Friend 


A few important updates:

1)  THE TRADITIONAL WHEEL DIP IS ON AT FOLLY BEACH AND PARTY TO FOLLOW AT LOGGERHEADS BEACH GRILL.  This will be on Saturday the 27th. Justin Cross my son-in-law will be riding the last leg with me and we are aiming to wheel dip near The Tides Hotel at noon.

Loggerheads has a nice plan for a mix of party and fund raising which they are going to blast out to their 1400 customers on their mailing list on Friday the 26th. If you wish to know the details use this link to get the info Loggerheads Mailing Info Sign-Up

Stopped by Loggerheads tonight (Friday the 26th) and people are already buying raffle tickets for the beach cruiser bike and we have already reached $100 even before the raffle has officially begun. Bike to be raffled off at 4pm

Hope to see you there!!

2) Update on Lauren's Student Warriors:

Lauren with Vets that she met with to learn more about their experience and PTSD:

Look at the great T-shirt that they have designed:

The multiplier effect is real.... Lauren Thomas a teacher at Central High School in Chattanooga TN saw one of my TV interviews in Chattanooga. It would be somewhat of an understatement to say that Lauren got enthused regarding helping Vets with PTSD. She has her students ON FIRE raising money for Soldier's Best Friend and is now getting interviewed with her students also. Facebook friend Lauren if you want a blast of "positive".

Lauren and I have decided to take a run at getting on Ellen Degeneres to further high-light SBF. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP -  If you have been following the blog and think there is enough funny and heart warming stuff that has happened to me on my trip then please take 5 minutes to tell Ellen's staff that at the following link
http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/  It is really easy to fill this out and we have been told that a barrage from different people helps - so please help. Just mention my ride for Soldier's Best Friend with my name (Neil Grehlinger) and add a liittle blurb of why you think it would make an interesting show. Also mention Lauren Thomas and her students as well.

Donations update:  Currently at $1600

About Soldiers Best Friend ..... If you have been following along you already know that I am trying to collect donations for the charity called Soldiers Best Friend. This is a charity that provides service dogs to Vets that are suffering from PTSD. These dogs can literally be life savers for these men and women.

My blog averages approximately 175 hits per day. I think that suggests folks are interested in the trip and hopefully are being informed and entertained. I am at the half-way point of the trip at 2151 miles. I consider this my job for the summer of 2014. I am putting in the the "blood, sweat, and gears" to steal a phrase - so would you consider a donation to this very worthy cause?

I've done the math for you .... My entire trip is going to be approximately 4200 miles long. Do you think you could donate $.006 per mile (like about slightly more than 1/2 cent per mile)?? If so then that would be a $25 dollar donation to SBF. Or better yet could you afford to donate at $.012 per mile (1.2 cents per mile) then that would be about a $50 donation. And so on ....  give what you can - I know this sounds like a Nation Public Radio fund drive but come on - what a worthy cause!!

Please follow the link below to donate and include my name - just "Neil" will do or "Neal" if you like that spelling better:):)

It's time folks please.......   

As you donate please enter my name in the "In Honor of Spot" so the folks at SBF can tally the results to encourage me and let me know WE are getting something done TOGETHER. I recognize we are really trying to honor the Vets but this is the only way SBF can tally the results of this drive.

Location: - Charlotte NC Miles = 129, Ave MPH = 12.5 Cum. Miles = 3846

Thursday September 11

Quote of the Day: "I think I'm out of armadillo country."


Another interesting mailbox on the way from Easley to Greenville SC. I think Adventure Cycling should set up a repository for photos of unusual mailboxes:

This is the Greenville News where I stopped to talk to a reporter regarding SBF:

I thought that most newspapers were on the retreat but this one was fairly impressive - lots of personnel buzzing around. This was the waiting room that I sat in waiting for the reporter - seemed like from a different era of newspaper power and influence:

I arranged to meet the reporters from the two TV stations that interviewed me at Falls Park on the Reedy:

Dog playing in fountain at one of the entrances to Falls Park:

Walking bridge in the park:

FOX reporter on the bridge:

This is Laura a very sweet woman from Damascus VA and also an avid cyclist. Laura thank you for your donation to SBF:

Leaving Greenville I pushed on to Spartanburg:

Yes!!!! Back to Church's Chicken territory:

Two new friend's from Spartanburg expressing their appreciation - Hilton and David:

Wofford College where the Carolina Panthers practice - well not in this little lake so much but......

I was a "Krystal Hamburger Virgin" until I met Robin and Nancy at exit 96 of I85. They helped me "power-up" for the push on to Charlotte:

Ahh yes what was that being "out of armadillo country" thing all about?

One of the things that a distance cyclist needs to settle on getting used to, is the unfortunate reality of road kill. Out west it was one deer after another - sometimes seen and sometimes just smelled. Somewhere, I think it was in Missouri, the predominate roadkill became armadillos. Let me just say they seem bent on committing suicide and in my opinion they are the creepiest and foulest unfortunates to perish on the road. I'm glad to be out of armadillo country.

I apologise for not having blogged recently - I promise to get caught up asap.

A few important updates:

1)  THE TRADITIONAL WHEEL DIP IS ON AT FOLLY BEACH AND PARTY TO FOLLOW AT LOGGERHEADS BEACH GRILL.  This will be on Saturday the 27th. Justin Cross my son-in-law will be riding the last leg with me and we are aiming to wheel dip near The Tides Hotel at noon.

Loggerheads has a nice plan for a mix of party and fund raising which they are going to blast out to their 1400 customers on their mailing list on Thursday the 25th. If you wish to know the details use this link to get the info Loggerheads Mailing Info Sign-Up

Hope to see you there!!

2) The multiplier effect is real.... Lauren Thomas a teacher at Central High School in Chattanooga TN saw one of my TV interviews in Chattanooga. It would be somewhat of an understatement to say that Lauren got enthused regarding helping Vets with PTSD. She has her students ON FIRE raising money for Soldier's Best Friend and is now getting interviewed with her students also. Facebook friend Lauren if you want a blast of "positive".

Lauren and I have decided to take a run at getting on Ellen Degeneres to further high-light SBF. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP -  If you have been following the blog and think there is enough funny and heart warming stuff that has happened to me on my trip then please take 5 minutes to tell Ellen's staff that at the following link
http://www.ellentv.com/be-on-the-show/10/  It is really easy to fill this out and we have been told that a barrage from different people helps - so please help. Just mention my ride for Soldier's Best Friend with my name (Neil Grehlinger) and add a liittle blurb of why you think it would make an interesting show. Also mention Lauren Thomas and her students as well.

Lauren being interviewed - note the SBF poster:

Lauren, students, and reporter:

Donations update:  Currently at $1600

About Soldiers Best Friend ..... If you have been following along you already know that I am trying to collect donations for the charity called Soldiers Best Friend. This is a charity that provides service dogs to Vets that are suffering from PTSD. These dogs can literally be life savers for these men and women.

My blog averages approximately 175 hits per day. I think that suggests folks are interested in the trip and hopefully are being informed and entertained. I am at the half-way point of the trip at 2151 miles. I consider this my job for the summer of 2014. I am putting in the the "blood, sweat, and gears" to steal a phrase - so would you consider a donation to this very worthy cause?

I've done the math for you .... My entire trip is going to be approximately 4200 miles long. Do you think you could donate $.006 per mile (like about slightly more than 1/2 cent per mile)?? If so then that would be a $25 dollar donation to SBF. Or better yet could you afford to donate at $.012 per mile (1.2 cents per mile) then that would be about a $50 donation. And so on ....  give what you can - I know this sounds like a Nation Public Radio fund drive but come on - what a worthy cause!!

Please follow the link below to donate and include my name - just "Neil" will do or "Neal" if you like that spelling better:):)

It's time folks please.......

As you donate please enter my name in the "In Honor of Spot" so the folks at SBF can tally the results to encourage me and let me know WE are getting something done TOGETHER. I recognize we are really trying to honor the Vets but this is the only way SBF can tally the results of this drive.